Oklahoma State beats Georgetown for third in Maui

LAHAINA >> Jeffrey Carroll had 20 points and Oklahoma State racked up 19 steals in a 97-70 win over Georgetown in today’s third-place game of the Maui Invitational.

Oklahoma State (5-1) bounced back from a 32-point demolishing by No. 4 North Carolina in the semifinals by revving up its pressure defense.

The Cowboys turned 28 turnovers by Georgetown into 41 points and had a 59-16 advantage in bench points to close their trip to Maui with a resounding victory.

Jawun Evans had 13 points and Brandon Averette 12 for Oklahoma State.

Georgetown (2-4) shot 51 percent, but lost because of the shots they couldn’t get up from the multitude of turnovers that had coach John Thompson III shaking his fists in anger at times on the sideline.

Rodney Pryor led the Hoyas with 15 points and Bradley Hayes added 13.

Oklahoma State’s press was at its best in a tournament-opening win over UConn, but did little good in a 107-75 loss to North Carolina in the semifinals.

The Hoyas struggled with the Cowboys’ pressure in the third-place game, leading to turnovers and breakouts in transition that came in bunches.

Cameron McGriff had one of the best dunks of the tournament with a tomahawk-and-foul over Pryor, and Carroll had another backboard shaker with a two-handed putback slam.

Oklahoma State forced 14 turnovers in the first half — 11 on steals — that led to 18 points and a 50-35 lead after Thomas Dziagwa’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer